– says national TT player Christopher Franklyn
National table tennis player Christopher Franklyn said yesterday that the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) needs to restructure its programmes if its players were to compete and win medals at events such as the Central American and Caribbean Games.
Franklyn was a member of the Guyana team to the XXI Central American and Caribbean
Games which ended Sunday in Puerto Rico.
In an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport yesterday Franklyn said that average age of most of the Spanish-speaking countries was 18 which meant that those countries were “building from their youngsters.”
He also revealed that most of the players were playing in Spain.
“Most if not all of the (Spanish-speaking) players are playing in Spain. Josue Donado is playing second division in Spain for two years now.
“It is impossible to come from our structure and win medals at these games. We need to rethink our strategy. Get a structure going then expose players in camps and the likes.
“We are fooling ourselves in thinking otherwise,” he said.
Franklyn was beaten by Donado of El Salvador, the fifth seed; in a match which, had he won, would have seen him advancing to the round of 32 in the men’s singles competition.
Great achievement
Franklyn’s team-mate Idi Lewis reached the last 16 of the men’s singles. Lewis and Trinidadian Dexter St Louis were the only male Caribbean players to reach the last 16.
“It was a great achievement,” says Franklyn of Lewis’s efforts. Idi played well against Omar Flores.”
Lewis defeated the Guatemalan Flores 11-8, 12-10, 7-11, 10-12, 11-9, and 11-8 to advance to the round of 16 where he lost to Venezuela’s Jonathan Pino 7-11, 11-13, 9-11, and 8-11.
“Idi and Pino’s games were close,” said Franklyn.
ITTF feature
Franklyn too had his moments at the championships. He was the hero in the Guyana’s men’s team’s upset 3-2 win over Trinidad and Tobago.
Franklyn’s two wins over Curtis Humphreys and Khaleel Asgaralli enabled Guyana to advance to the quarter finals in the team competition.
Franklyn was subsequently featured on the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) website after his wins.
“It was good,” Franklyn said of the 3-0 wins over Asgaralli and Humphreys. “It was a welcome boost for the country as well,” he added.
Guyana’s Michelle John was also featured on the ITTF website after she defeated Puerto Rico’s Jessica Marrero.
She narrowly lost 2-3 to Colombia’s Natalia Bedoya 2-3 in her round of 32 singles encounter.
Franklyn said the other two females on the team Trenace Lowe and Natalie Cummings both played well as did overseas- based player Paul David who was up 2-0 against Barbados’ Anderson Carrington but lost in a match which would have seen him advance to the round of 32.
Racquet Testing
Speaking of the tournament Franklyn said the atmosphere at the Luis F Sambolin Gymnasium was very nice. The competition was played on Stag tables and Franklyn described the bounce of the ball on the tables as very good. The venue was air conditioned which was different from the local venue the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
Franklyn said a slight bother was the 45-minute drive to and from the playing venue.
Franklyn said there was a new type of racquet testing equipment at the tournament which tested from the rubbers right through to the blade. So advanced was this type of equipment that a number of players racquets failed the test.
“This equipment was like an ultra sound it was able to test from the rubbers right through to the blades. A lot of racquets failed the test,” Franklyn said.
Franklyn said he plans to rest for a week and a half before resuming training for the Commonwealth Games which takes place in India in October.
